


Fist Bump

by Magical_Awesome_Kid



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: A revelation fic, F/M, Fist Bump, Friendship, How it came to be, LadyNoir - Freeform, Nuances from the episodes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-26 03:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4987759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magical_Awesome_Kid/pseuds/Magical_Awesome_Kid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette remembered when she and Chat Noir had begun their little post-battle celebration fist bump. It was oh so long ago now, even though, relatively speaking, not much time had passed. To her, though, so much had occurred in such a short time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fist Bump

            Marinette remembered when she and Chat Noir had begun their little post-battle celebration fist bump. It was oh so long ago now, even though, relatively speaking, not much time had passed. To her, though, so much had occurred in such a short time.

            It was a month and a half after she’d transformed for the first time and a month after she had met Chat. The two were starting to get the hang of their powers around then through trial and error, and it was still some time before the first akuma appeared in Paris. Back then, they had been two crazy kids bestowed with cool gifts dealing with petty thefts in the shadows of the Parisian night.

            That night in particular, the two had stumbled upon something so much bigger than a simple case of purse snatching. Thanks to Chat’s bad luck (or, at least, that’s what Ladybug had complained), they had gotten lost somewhere near the industrial district at the edges of Paris proper. Here, the fine architecture of the city of love gave way to industrial drivel, common sights that most didn’t think of when they came to Paris.

            Ladybug and Chat Noir had somehow ended up on the one building where a fair number of smugglers were trying to get crates of illicit drugs into the city. It was the two stupid kids who, accidentally, walked in the alley that led to the single lit doorway in a kilometer. It was the two of them who came across a stack of crates, and it was their enhanced senses that instantly picked out the smell of marijuana. Chat, as it turned out, knew the smell (certain models on his father’s payroll had once lit up when they didn’t think anyone was watching – they had been fired once found out, though Adrien couldn’t explain this to Ladybug without revealing his identity).

            Thus, the two began to investigate and, somehow, ended up breaking up a huge shipment of cannabis and other drugs into the city. The men, as many as twenty armed to the teeth, suddenly had a stroke of terrible luck as their guns would misfire or stall all together (Adrein hadn’t gotten a hold of Cataclysm yet, so he tended to just wreck random havoc for anyone sans Ladybug – who could counter it with her good luck – in his general area). The two soon dealt with many of the men, and Ladybug tied them up from some cable she had luckily found.

            It didn’t stop there, though. As it turned out, one of the men was an undercover cop. When the teens had attacked, he had alerted his higher-ups. Police were everywhere within minutes, and the two had escaped the flashes of lights, wishing the cops, cheekily as some would say, a good night.

            It was also the first time anyone that wasn’t their criminal saw them.

            “Who-hOO! What a NIGHT!” Chat had cheered once they were in one of the more familiar parts of Paris.

            Ladybug had to laugh at the silly cat’s exhuberence. “Yeah, we didn’t do too bad, Chat.” She grinned up at him as she leaned over to catch her breath.

            Chat blushed lightly at the compliment. “Well, that is certainly something coming from you, my Lady.” He teased with a sharp grin even as one of the paws on his ring blinked out. “Oh, shoot, about to go out.”

            Ladybug had straightened. While she was sometimes exhausted by Chat’s antics, they had become really good friends with the cat in the last few weeks. Therefore, there was a twinge of sadness at seeing him go. “Hey.” Ladybug said just before Chat took off for another rooftop towards wherever it was that he called home. She held up a fist before her. She figured that this was less awkward than the alternatives of a handshake or – gods – a kiss for a good night. She would _never_ kiss the cat. “Good job tonight. Let’s do it again some time?” Ladybug had smiled brightly, and, to Chat, all the stars in the sky could retire because nothing else would ever be so bright and beautiful as her smile.

            Chat leaned back from the ledge as his own bright grin spread across his face. “Yeah, good job, partner.” He replied as, lightly, as if he was about to break her, he tapped their fists together. A dot went out on Ladybug’s earrings after that, and the two took off to their homes before transforming.

            It was a few weeks later when the first akuma attacked, coinciding with the last day of summer for Marinette. Both Marinette and Adrien had been drawn to the scene out of some intrinsic force as their guardians, Plagg and Tikki, knew that it was time. The police were obviously outmatched by the magically-possessed person, and only the magical heroes of the night, who had yet to become nothing more than legend amongst cops and criminals, had the power to stop it.

            From who knows where, Ladybug and Chat Noir soon appeared. The civilians and police around were caught up by the fantastical sight of the diminutive heroes, who just seemed larger than life at the top of the buildings, as they faced off against the monster floating in the air.

            The battle had been fierce. It was then that Chat Noir had finally learned how to use Cataclysm, collecting all his bad luck energy into a massive attack that was used to collapse a statue, pinning the creature to the ground before it could injure some of the onlookers. Ladybug had finally found the power of Lucky Charm, and, gaining a series of fire crackers, she had managed to scare the akuma into dropping its possessed object before being knocked half way down the street, back towards the earlier destruction where no one could be injured due to evacuation. The two destroyed the item, and Ladybug, through pure instinct, caught the butterfly and cleansed it.

            When the dust cleared, the crowds of people standing around the police blockages and in buildings looked on. Both teens backed away hesitantly, Ladybug taking up the used firecrackers as she went. However, when she touched them, they transformed into a swarm of bright ladybugs dissolved from her grip, growing until they swirled out, taking with them the destruction of the city and replacing it with its former beauty.

            Of course, Ladybug had no idea what she had done at the time. She had only felt embarrassed by the mess the two had made. It was Tikki, later, who explained that she had unlocked another power known as _Cleansing Light._

            It was then, standing in the middle of the repaired plaza, that the crowd burst into cheers. People tried to rush towards their new heroes, smartphones all about, some having caught the battle and others just ragging for pictures. Chat, for once in his life, used all his confidence and seemed to share it with the shell-shocked Ladybug. He nudged her with a broad smile.

            “Ya know, for heroes of the night, we kind of don’t do a good job of staying hidden.” He smiled as he waved, both backing as the people tried to rush in.

            Ladybug finally smiled, adding her own small and embarrassed wave. “Yeah, we kind of do stand out, but, hey, finally got into a magical monster fight.”

            “ _And_ we figured out a bunch of cool powers.” Chat added before, with his free hand, held up a little fist. “Good job?”

            Ladybug smirked, tapping his fist back, strong yet steady. “Good job.” The crowd broke at that moment, and the two teens quickly leapt to the heavens, disappearing amongst the Parisian skyline and ducking into separate alleys where copter news crews couldn’t see them. Both young heroes realized this was possibly the best end to their summer ever, not realizing that monster fighting and public appearances were about to become far more common in their future.

            It was also, that following day, where Adrien began school at an actual school for the first time in his life. The rather shy boy soon became best friends with one Nino, and, in his shy introduction to the class, he had caught the eye of one Marinette. By the end of the week, Marinette was smitten, and she had a new rival in the girl who used her father’s mayorial status to switch into her class.

            Overall, it was still a really good week.

            The fist bump after battle became their thing. There wasn’t a battle where Chat and Ladybug didn’t share one, whether that be with each other or themselves (in twists of time or mirror images or actual clones, who knew what would come up that week). Most commonly, however, it was their parting move, even on nights where the city seemed perfectly quiet, without any sign of even a simple purse snatcher that they once had to chase down.

            Nearly two years after she had met Chat Noir, Marinette was sitting in her physical education course. Alya was to her side, sighing at the inhumanity of this course and how it was mandatory at their school, but Marinette was slightly distracted by Adrien in a tight black short-sleeve wick-away shirt and black running pants paired with his black-and-blue running shoes. Marinette played with the hem of her red shirt, a v-neck with a small pocket where she had sewn four black dots in a diamond pattern. She also wore black shorts that were tight to her legs, running down to her knees and lined along her cafs and at the edges with dual red lines of the same shade as her shirt.

            “Ok, is everyone clear on the rules?” The teacher’s voice over the rows of seated students on the gym floor shook Marinette from her thoughts.

            “What are we doing?” Marinette swung around to Alya with a hiss.

            Alya rolled her eyes playfully. “Some American game, dodgeball. The point of the game is not to be hit by a ball thrown by the other team before it hits the ground. You can’t cross the middle line. If you get hit, you have to sit out. If you catch a ball from the air, you get a teammate back. You can deflect balls with other balls. Got it?”

            Marinette sighed. It didn’t sound too bad, but the teacher could drone on about sports _forever._ “Yeah, I got it.”

            “Good, now look up! He’s picking teams.” She pointed out as the teacher separated the class into two groups of 20, a rather large group as it combined the usually separate classes of the school (there were two classes of the _classe de première_ year at the school, both of 20 students).

            Alya and Marinette were separated, sadly, but Marinette felt terrible for Alya. She was on the same team as Chloe. However, Alya’s saving grace was as Nino came over, a grin on his face and a fist bump with his long-time friend. Between the two of them, they wouldn’t have to deal with Chloe and crew too much.

            “Adrien, head on over.” The teacher noted as he pointed towards the side of the gym opposite of where he had sent Nino.

            He was on Marinette’s team.

            Marinette felt like she could faint from excitement as Adrien came over with a grin.

            “Hey Marinette.” Adrien greeted as she was, by lucky chance, near the back as one of the first picks. He had gotten out of the way, too, it seemed.

            “H-Hey Adrien.” Marinette stuttered with a blush as she turned her stare to her white trainers. “S-so, not making a run at the balls?”

            Adrien smiled with a nod. “Yeah. I figure everyone is going to rush in. I’m going to stick to the back lines for now.” He noted strategically, which was right along where Marinette’s thoughts were. “I’m good back-up.” He smiled at his own joke.

            Marinette looked up, about to reply, when the whistle blew. In the relatively small gym, it was a madhouse. However, it was obvious straight away that the sides were separated unevenly. Many of the normally less-than-athlettic students were on the side of Adrien and Marinette while the other side was filled with school athletes. Before Marinette and Adrien knew it, five of their own players were out, and the two were thrown in by the coach’s yell.

            Balls were everywhere as Marinette simply avoided the throws ball after ball. She tossed a few, nailing their targets every time. From what she had seen of the rest of her team, they weren’t much for this game. Marinette grinned as she contorted away from a throw with flexibility she had gained from being Ladybug.

            Marinette backed up before she threw another ball. The guy was hit in the hand, but he, a boy from the other class, hid it like the unfair player he was. Kids from Marinette’s team called him out, but the teacher quieted them saying he saw nothing.

            Marinette cast her eyes around for another ball, but her side was empty. With a start, she realized that the only one standing was her… and Adrien.

            Meanwhile, on the other side, five of the meatiest of meat heads Marinette had ever seen, kids she didn’t know from the other class, had all the balls. They had this mean look on their faces as they stared down Marinette and Adrien who, on instinct, seemed to draw towards one another.

            “This is going to be quick, boys! Watch me get em with a double throw!” One dude with black hair going off in every direction cheered as he held up two balls, one in both hand. His friends cheered him on.

            “You got this, Pierre!”

            “Get the little twigs out of here!”

            “Can’t get defeated by a silly little girl and a pretty boy after all.”

            Oh, that made Marinette’s blood boil. “I am taking them down.” Marinette growled out lowly as her more confident side, the side she had gotten so used to hiding, rushed to the surface. “No one makes fun of me and you.” She defended.

            Adrien, the normally quiet and polite boy, seemed to steel himself as well. “I’m with you on that.”

            For a moment, the whole gym melted away. Instead of standing in her red shirt and spandex, Marinette was clad in red and black, a mask over her eyes as Chat Noir, one of her best friends in the world and the boy she _may_ have had a little crush on, at her side rather than the boy she had a much _larger_ crush on, Adrien.

            To Adrien, the whole world went green as his mind’s eye focused with the sharp wit and fast-paced thought process that had both gotten him in and out of so much trouble over the years.

            The balls were thrown with almost inhuman speed.

            And, in tune, the teens rolled away from the shots.

            The class went dead silent before, over on Pierre’s side, said boy growled out in hit red anger, “Get the twigs!”

            There was a wall of balls all of a sudden, and it was suddenly so hard to keep track of what was going on. Between the soft blue and yellow balls of the gym, blurs of red and black weaved as if this was a walk in the park, the wind moving through open skies, or a couple of fish in a river. When all the balls were gone from one side of the gym – including ones that had rolled back across the line in the havoc, Adrien and Marinette still stood with grins on their faces.

            “We _had_ to have hit them!” Pierre cried out with an accusatory finger.

            “You didn’t hit Adrien!” Chloe, in a weird twist of fate, defended.

            “Not Marinette, either!” Alya added, and, _wow_ , that was so _weird_ to see those two defending the same point.

            “Who’s side are you on???” Someone said in the group until the coach shouted over all of them.

            “I saw nothing. The game continues until I see clear hits!” He yelled as his voice reverberated off the walls of the room. Alya and Chloe sat again, but not before the impossible happened.

            Pierre was hit right in the soft spot by a ball.

            Marinette had the most pleased grin on her face, withdrawing her arm from the obvious throw. “Sorry, had to.” She shrugged to Adrien.

            “Oh, lead the way, my Lady.” He added mischeviously as they were suddenly armed with balls. Before the rest of the other team could scramble, balls made their clear shots across the final four of the oversized boys.

            The whistle blew. “Yer all out!”

            Without even thinking, just victory flooded Marinette's veins as she lifted her fist, never turning her grinning stare from the boys she had just beaten. However, it was when a familiar knock answered her call that she looked up.

            She was staring at Adrien, who had this pleased but suddenly confused look on his face. His hair was thrown every which way from the ducking and weaving he had done earlier, and his green eyes just looked so much brighter now that they were so close. In fact, now that her breath had caught up with her, she had a chance to allow her analytical mind to analyze his moves. His moves so fluid and familiar that the two were able to fall into line with one another so easily.

            And, as came with each victory, there came a simple fist bump.

            The cheers of all the classmates at the spectacular performance mixed with the teacher trying to settle them all down, but nothing could drown out that moment as Marinette whispered something so close to her heart and so preposterous that it couldn’t… but, it seemed so right…

            “Chat?”

            “M-My Lady?”

**Author's Note:**

> I was supposed to do homework I was supposed to do homework I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO HOMEWORK AND I WROTE ANOTHER DAMN LADYBUG FIC!!!


End file.
